


with open hearts | ringsy

by lockedinmybody



Category: Unter Uns
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Fluff, Love, M/M, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-25 02:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14967659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockedinmybody/pseuds/lockedinmybody
Summary: Ringo and Easy have a fight over Huber wanting Ringo to hide his queerness, and when Easy brings up Ringo's bisexuality it touches a nerve, leading them to have a difficult but needed conversation.in honor of pride month 2018.





	with open hearts | ringsy

**Author's Note:**

> happy pride month everyone! here's a ringsy fic i wrote especially for pride month. please let me know what your thoughts are, either here in the comments or on [tumblr](https://softlofty.tumblr.com/):)
> 
> just a quick warning: there's some biphobia in this, nothing too explicit but it's there.

Ringo is sitting by himself, his chin resting on his hand as he looks at his phone. Schiller’s not too busy, with it being early evening. He’d wanted to have dinner with Easy as usual, but the aforementioned boyfriend had texted him that he was running late, so they’d agreed on having dinner separately and meeting up for a drink.

He puts his phone away after a while and shifts in his seat, the high bar stool allowing him to swing his feet a little. It’s not long after that when he spots Easy.  
“Hey.” Easy smiles at him, all twinkly eyes and dimples, walking up to him and coming to stand in front of him, the both of them now at the same height.   
“Hey.” Ringo smiles fondly and Easy rests his hands on Ringo’s knees, leaning forward to kiss Ringo. When Easy pulls back his eyes glide over Ringo’s chest. “Did you change for me?”

Ringo rolls his eyes. “Huber agreed to let me go early for once, did you really think I was going to spend a second longer in that suit than I had to?”  
Easy laughs at that and walks over to the bar, ordering two beers and then walking back, setting one in front of Ringo and one on the other side, taking the seat opposite Ringo.

“How did you manage to get out of Huber’s grasp anyway?” Easy says, bringing the glass to his mouth and taking a sip, white foam coating the top of his lip which he licks away.  
Ringo shrugs, doing his best to look casual. “Don’t really know to be honest. Must have caught him on a good day.” He gives Easy a small smile, who seems satisfied with the answer. There’s no need to tell him that Ringo had to sacrifice two free weekends, and he had spent the day supplying his boss with cappuccinos, the request for which became so frequent Ringo knew Huber was just doing it to spite him.

“So how was your day.” Ringo asks, taking a sip from his beer. Easy nods and hums. “Yeah, it was good! A bit all over the place, because clients just love to make last minute changes,” Easy sarcastically smiles at that, “and then I got stuck in some traffic on the way home. But it was alright.”  
“I’m sure you were great.” Ringo says, and Easy laughs. “I mean it!”, Ringo says but Easy just raises an eyebrow and looks at him quizzically, “well you’re not like me, are you. You might have been annoyed on the inside but you don’t get cranky and you try to make everything run as smoothly as possible.” Ringo swallows a mouthful of beer. “I probably would’ve shouted at someone.”  
Easy laughs, head tilting back a little and eyes crinkling up. “We balance each other out then, don’t we.” Ringo grins, and Easy has that teasing look in his eyes that makes Ringo want to take him home, but his eyes fall on something behind Easy.

He quickly averts his eyes and looks down at his beer, but he can tell that Easy has noticed the change in behaviour. “What-“ Easy starts, but he’s interrupted by three guys coming up to their table.  
“Ringo? I thought I recognized you!” One of the guys says, broadly smiling at Ringo.   
Ringo gives them a small smile and a wave. They’re three classmates from high school. He barely ever spoke to them, but he knows their names and they know his. “Hi guys.”  
“I haven’t seen you in ages,” the guy says, and then his eye falls on Easy, “who’s your friend?”  
Ringo presses his lips together for a moment, looking Easy in the eyes and trying to gauge if he wants Ringo to correct them or not.

Easy beats him to it, “I’m Easy.” The guys all greet him and Ringo could’ve let it be, but he didn’t want to. “He’s my boyfriend.”  
The guy crinkles his eyebrows and huffs an amused laugh. “Boyfriend? Since when are you gay?”  
Ringo narrows his eyes, trying desperately not to show his annoyance at this entire conversation.  
“I’m bi.” There’s another laugh as if Ringo just told a joke and then a clap on his shoulder. “Sure. Well it was good to see you man!” All three of them proceed to walk off, and they leave the café.  
Ringo takes his eyes off of the three figures disappearing through the door and looks back at Easy, who keeps his eyes trained on the glass in front of him. Ringo can’t help but feel like he did something wrong, but he can’t tell what.  
He picks up his own glass and throws back whatever’s left of his beer. “Should we call it a night? I’m quite tired.” He says quietly, and Easy looks up and nods after a moment.

The elevator upstairs is silent except for the rattle of metal every now and then, and Ringo feels out of place and unsure with Easy in a way he hasn’t felt since before they started dating.   
They stop moving and Easy steps out first, turning around once they’re both in the hallway. “Coffee?” Easy asks. Ringo simply nods and follows Easy, sitting down on the couch as Easy quietly makes the coffee. He hadn’t realised he was staring at nothing until Easy puts a mug down in front of him.

Next to him, Easy clears his throat. “Were they old friends?” Ringo shakes his head, wiping his hands on his jeans. “No, they used to be in my class in high school. I was never friends with them.”  
Easy hums, and Ringo reaches forward to grab his mug off of the table, sitting back and holding it in his lap. Moments pass and no one says anything.  
“Should I not have said you’re my boyfriend?” Ringo asks eventually. He looks at Easy, who sighs and shifts in his seat so he’s facing Ringo more.  
“It’s fine.” Ringo blinks. “Then why do I feel like it’s not fine?”   
“Ringo,” Easy immediately huffs, “it’s fine.” There’s a pause, and Easy takes a sip of his coffee. “I just didn’t say I was your boyfriend so you didn’t have to tell them if you didn’t want to.”

Ringo’s eyes narrow as he thinks about what Easy says. “Why would I not want to tell them you’re my boyfriend?” Easy’s finger skates over the top of his mug. “I don’t know,” he shrugs, “but you’re fine playing straight for Huber.”  
Ringo feels something ugly tug at him with those words. He puts the mug back on the table with a bit too much force. “That’s not fair Easy.”  
“Is it? Or is it unfair to ask your employees to hide their sexuality because you’re a homophobe who does business with homophobes?” Ringo can hear the snide in Easy’s tone, can feel how it angers him.   
“It’s not forever. I don’t want to work here forever, you know that. But I have to try to build a CV. I don’t want my first job out of university to be one I stayed at for three months.”  
Easy rolls his eyes and stands up, placing his mug on the kitchen counter. “Always thinking of your career.”

“What exactly is it that you want from me Easy?” Ringo says, voice raised.  
Easy turns around, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. “That you wouldn’t rather hide me than just quit at your job with a boss who makes you do tedious tasks and makes homophobic remarks to your face!” Easy shouts.   
Ringo can feel his heart beat furiously in his chest. He can see red spots on Easy’s neck. Everything feels tense and loaded. Ringo wishes they could just talk this out but they only seem to make each other angrier.

“I really don’t understand why you’re so angry about this. It’s not my ideal situation either Easy, but it is what it is. You don’t have to see him every day, I do. He’s _my_ boss, my problem. Not yours.” Ringo says, hands gesturing to his own chest. “And if I want to do things this way, then that’s my responsibility. I thought you understood that.”  
Easy throws his hands up in the air at that. “How can you be okay with having to hide who you are? Who _we_ are!” Easy drags a hand over his face. It’s quiet for a few moments, and Ringo thinks about how they should leave this conversation where it is now, sleep on it and come back to it later.

“It’s so unfair that you can even play straight in the first place.” Easy mutters, half under his breath, shaking his head as he says it.

Ringo’s eyes move up from looking at his hands to Easy’s face. He can feel a wave of nausea in his stomach, a sick feeling climbing its way up his throat.  
“What did you just say?” He can hear the uncertainty in his own voice, knowing he can’t believe Easy would take something that’s so special to the both of them and use it against him.  
He can see in Easy’s face that he knows he’s hurt Ringo, but he looks too angry to take it back.

“Well it’s true, isn’t it? If you put your arm around Larissa you look like a perfect pair, and no one would know you’re also into men.” The snide in Easy’s voice is gone, but his words pack a punch nonetheless.  
“I’m bisexual.” Ringo says, voice quiet and timid. “I always am, no matter who I am standing next to. It doesn’t matter what it _looks like_ , I will never be straight.”

Easy opens his mouth but closes it again when Ringo stands up. “We can talk about this again as soon as you’ve accepted that.” He lies in his own bed that night, stomach in knots and chest hollow.

He manages to fall sleep at around four, and his alarm goes off two hours later. After sitting on the edge of his bed for fifteen minutes, he quickly texts Saskia and tells her he’s sick and won’t be coming in today. The thought of having to be around Huber all day after last night feels unbearable.   
He’s having breakfast at the table downstairs after having showered, when there’s a knock on the door. Ellie shares a look with Ringo, who simply shrugs.   
The door opens after a few seconds and Easy sticks his head through. “Can I come in?”  
Ellie frowns, not understanding what’s going on between the two, but after a moment she picks up her plate. “Sure. I’ll finish this in my room.”

Easy takes a seat opposite of Ringo, and he looks as uncomfortable as Ringo feels. “How-“ Easy starts, and he clears his throat before trying again, “How did you sleep?”.  
“Not great. You?” The conversation is stilted and drags in a way that makes Ringo feel just how much Easy hurt him, how he broke something between them.  
He doesn’t really respond to Ringo’s question, just gives him a weak smile and then leans forward on the table.   
“Listen, about some of the things I said yesterday…” Ringo looks at Easy, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Easy sighs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”  
Ringo licks his lips and pushes them together. “Oh yeah? Which things?”

Easy looks down at his hands, and any hope that Ringo would agree to forget about the whole thing and would just go back to the way things were, disappears from his face.   
“Because I think you did mean them.” Ringo says firmly, looking at Easy as he wills his words to sink in.  
“Ringo, I-“ Easy starts but Ringo cuts him off. “No. Let me say something.” Easy sits back.

“I worked _so_ hard, to accept the person I am,” Ringo says, voice shaking with how much he can still feel that struggle as he says it, “and I need you to know that you taking that away from me, my own boyfriend denying my sexuality when we’re arguing, was incredibly hurtful.”  
Easy gives him a small nod, his eyes watering and Ringo sees the wobble of his chin, how he tries to hold his tears back.  
“You are allowed to have your opinion on me working for Huber, and on the fact that I probably go along with some things that you would do differently,” Ringo says, “but throwing my sexuality back in my face when you’re angry is not okay.”

There’s fat droplets now running down Easy’s cheeks as he nods again, his hand quickly wiping them away as he feels them fall. “I know. And I am so sorry.”  
Ringo reaches across the table and grabs Easy’s hand, holding it with his own.

“I just…” Ringo trails off, the conversation now broken open and it’s like there’s more air in the room, more space to breathe, “I never really felt proud of who I am.”  
Easy exhales on a small laugh. “Do you really think that?”  
Ringo nods. “Well yeah. I mean, those guys from my school only ever saw me date girls, and at the time that was all I did, but for all they know I could’ve also been dating guys. So they never really considered bisexuality as an option, and I run into that a lot.”

Easy bites on his lower lip, brows drawing down a little as he takes in Ringo’s words. “You do?”  
Ringo nods. “Yeah. If I mention that I have a boyfriend, people assume I’m gay.”  
Easy blinks, looking at Ringo and realizing he never really thought about this side of things. “I didn’t know that.”   
Ringo gives Easy a soft smile, squeezing his hand. “That’s okay. But I’m telling you now, because I need you to understand how that makes me feel.” Easy nods at him. “I know what it’s like to come to terms with who you are, so I shouldn’t make you feel like I’m taking that away from you.” Easy says, and Ringo sees in his eyes that he gets it now.

They fall silent for a moment, just looking at each other until Ringo opens his arm and pushes his chair back. “Come here.” Easy gets up with a smile and walks over, sitting down on Ringo’s lap and laying an arm over Ringo’s shoulder.   
Ringo lays his head down against Easy’s side. “You do know that I’m not ashamed of you right?” Ringo says as the thought pops up, raising his head to look at Easy. “The thing with Huber, it’s not about you in any way?” Easy gives him a sheepish smile. “I didn’t think you were, but it’s nice to hear you say it.” Easy leans down, kissing Ringo deeply, both of them happy to be close again, closer than before, more understood. As Ringo pulls back he stays near, the tip of his nose brushing against Easy’s.

“I think it’s just because I know how hard it can be, to come to terms with yourself. I would never go back to hiding who I am if someone asked me to, let alone if that person was my employer.” Easy says honestly, and Ringo takes it in. He gets it, he really does. And that Easy probably has better morals than he does is something he already knew.   
“I get that. And know that I’m not exactly having a good time either, this job is giving me more headaches than anything else.” Ringo says, Easy giving him a small laugh. “But it’s my choice.”  
Easy nods, understanding that even though he wouldn’t have made the same decision, the situation is what it is.

Easy’s still thinking about what they’ve both said, absentmindedly moving his hand through Ringo’s hair, letting the longer locks slide through his fingers, when his train of thought is interrupted by Ringo. “Really if you think about it, a lot of this could have been prevented if I had nailed my final exam, but I didn’t because I was lovesick over you.” Easy grins, pinching Ringo’s side and laughing harder when Ringo yelps. “Well I for one am glad we are together, even if I drove you wild with desire so much that you lost a few braincells over it.”

Ringo nods semi-serious, lips pressed together in an effort to smother a grin. “Mm. I tried so hard to think of the most efficient ways to run a business but I kept thinking about you. Naked.”  
Easy nods wholeheartedly, a big smile on his face. “I can imagine. And you thought you would never have a piece of that again.” Ringo’s grin becomes a bit smaller, a bit softer, eyes genuine.  
“I knew I would never deserve to have you again.” Easy looks down at him fondly, rolling his eyes but there’s no heat behind it, still in awe that Ringo allows himself to be this soft around him.  
“You do have me.” Easy says, nothing but honesty and love in his voice and Ringo presses their lips together, holding the side of Easy’s face as he kisses him back with the same fervour, Easy shifting in Ringo’s lap as he opens Ringo’s mouth with his tongue, moving one leg over Ringo.  
“We should take this upstairs,” Easy says as Ringo’s mouth moves over his neck, voice breathy and his eyes closed. Ringo’s hands hold Easy’s waist as he pulls back to look at him. “We should. And we can, because I have a day off.”  
Easy’s eyes narrow. “You’re not…?” Ringo grins. “I’m all yours.”  
They’re halfway up the stairs when Ringo pulls on Easy’s shirt. “Can I make one suggestion though?”  
Easy looks back at him, questioningly. “Can we also schedule in a nap somewhere, because I really did sleep awful last night.” Easy laughs and nods, walking the rest of the way up the stairs and straight into Ringo’s room. 

Once they’re both in Ringo’s bed, the covers around them, bodies close, they’re asleep before they have a chance to start anything else. When Ringo wakes up again, body pleasantly sleep-heavy and his head still slightly fuzzy, he rolls on his side to a sleeping Easy.   
His mouth is opened just a little, breath puffing against the pillow, face completely relaxed and his back gently rising and falling. Ringo is suddenly overcome with an aching feeling, realising how he never wants to wake up without this, without Easy by his side, and there’s a finality to that thought that does scare him a little bit. He looks at Easy, a person he finds so perfect in the way that he’s smart, kind, funny, beautiful and sexy and flawed all at the same time. 

Ringo sweeps a strand of hair away from Easy’s forehead. “I’m so lucky.”  
Easy stirs at the sound of Ringo’s voice, eyes opening slightly. “Hmm?”  
Ringo pauses, thinks about brushing his comment off and forgetting it but decides against it.  
“I’m so lucky.” He repeats and Easy smiles.   
“So am I.”


End file.
